Catching Fire: Wounded Gale
by Rosebud1992
Summary: Katniss must console Gale after he is whipped for illegally hunting. I will add more soon.
1. Chapter 1

I peeked around the doorframe into my small kitchen. There Gale lay, sprawled out the table. I could see the bloody gashes on his back. Suddenly my mother came into view carrying a bowl and some bandages. I waited silently for her to finish cleaning Gale's wounds. Although the light was dim and I could only make out Gale's profile, I still noticed him wincing in pain as my mother pressed the cloth onto his raw skin. It was strange to see my seemingly invincible friend look so fragile. I brushed a fallen lock of hair off of my face and felt a twinge of pain as my hand touched the lash that I received while trying to save Gale. Finally I gathered up enough courage to let my presence be known.

"Need some help?" I asked as I stepped into the room.

"I wouldn't mind if you took over for me, I need to get more supplies," My mother replied, handing me the bowl and bandages.

She proceeded to leave the room, leaving Gale and I alone. I reached into the bowl and grasped a cloth that had been soaking in the antiseptic liquid. I slowly pressed the cloth onto Gale's back.

"Ahhhhh!" he loudly moaned through gritted teeth.

"Sorry!" I squeaked, "I'll try to be more gentle."

I tried again, this time pressing even softer. I felt his body twitch beneath the cloth; it must be even worse pain than I had imagined before.

"No it's fine. It's not your fault, it'll hurt no matter how careful you are," He said apologetically. "I just hate that you're seeing me like this."

"Oh, come on Gale, you got whipped really badly!" I exclaimed, "Any person, no matter how tough they are, would be in pain after what Romulus did to you."

"Still, I should be the one protecting you, not the opposite." he countered. "Stop trying to make me feel better, there's nothing you can do."

I opened my mouth to protest, but then realized that I didn't want to further wound Gale. He was prideful but I decided to forgive him at that moment. Besides, he already was so helpless; I refused to make him feel even worse. I finished cleaning his wounds and then covered his back in the bandages my mother gave me.

"Can you try to sit up?" I asked, wanting to try something that I though might ease his immense pain.

He nodded and used his hands to push himself up. By the time he had sat up, his feet dangling off of the table, he was out of breath and had a pained look on his face. I gazed at his shirtless body. He was leaner than I had imagined, but he was still wide across; working in the coalmines had made him extremely fit and strong. I set the bowl down on the floor and moved so that I was standing between his legs. He peered down at me with a puzzled look on his face. I studied his handsome face carefully. He had replaced his usual relaxed smile with a knitted brow and pursed lips. Somehow his pained expression made me more attracted to him than I already did; maybe it was the fact that he was being vulnerable in front of me for the first time. I looked down to see that his hands were clutching the edge of the table on either side of his thighs. I placed my hands on top of his and squeezed them softly. I gazed back up at him and noticed that the confusion had now left his face; it was now replaced with a trace of a smirk. He knew me too well.

"You don't have to pretend to want me just because I'm hurt." Gale murmured, his eyes averted from mine.

"Weren't you just recently proclaiming your love for me?" I teased. "Did you change your mind about it already?"

"Of course not," he retorted, "but didn't you just recently reject me? I don't want you to do anything for me out of pity."

"My god Gale, just stop talking and let me show you how I feel about you." I cried, moving my hands up to his face.

I touched his chin and jaw and felt his stubble of his unshaven face. It strangely tickled my hands. His lips curved into a weak smile as I brushed my fingertips across them. The contrast between his rough chin and his soft lips intrigued me. I wanted to lean in and feel them with my own lips but resisted the urge. I moved my hands to his broad chest, tracing the outline of his collarbones. I ran my fingers through his chest hair, realizing that he was far from the boy I had met when both of our fathers had died in the mine. I finally rested my hands on his powerful shoulders, careful not to get too close to the wounds on his back.

"I love you, Katniss." Gale whispered, tracing the outline of the large cut on my face.

He slowly leaned in close to my face and softly pressed his lips to my wound. I closed my eyes and inhaled his scent. He smelled so wonderful, just like the woods where we would spend all of our time before I volunteered for the Hunger Games. He moved his hands down past my cheeks and jaw to the back of my neck. He pulled my face to his and finally brought his mouth to mine. He kissed me softly at first but began to become more frenzied as I weaved my arms around his neck. He lifted me up and placed me on his knee, draping my legs over his other leg. I felt a wave of longing crash over me as he gently pulled the hair at the nape of my neck with his strong fingers. I finally gave into the feeling of passion building inside me and kissed him frantically, as if I would never kiss him again. I sucked on his lower lip and bit down ever so slightly.

"Oh, Katniss, I've wanted this for so long" he breathed, lifting me up off of his knee and placing me onto the table. He climbed on top of me, a look of pain corrupting his beautiful face. I quickly pushed him off of me and sat up.

"Maybe we should stop, I don't want to hurt you." I exclaimed.

"No, it's okay. I need you." He urged, pushing me back down onto the table and laying on his side next to me, trying not to move his back.

He laid one of his arms under my head and draped the other across my abdomen. I leaned up to reach his mouth with mine and kissed him gently, not wanting to bring out the passion in him that caused him to strain his wounds. I placed one of my hands on his chest and reached the other behind his head. He ran his tongue across my lower lip as we kissed, prompting me to massage his tongue with mine. He lifted his arm that was draped over me and moved his hand under my shirt, caressing the sensitive skin on my stomach. I shivered as he moved his mouth down to my neck, gently sucking on its soft skin.

"Mmmmm…" I moaned, unable to hold back my pleasure that his warm mouth was causing my neck.

"I think I found your sweet spot." He said, smiling up at me.

I rolled my eyes at him, trying to distract him from the blush that was spreading across my cheeks. He chuckled and moved his mouth back to my neck, this time kissing the other side. His hand crept up past my stomach and moved to my breasts. He cupped my breast and began to gently caress it with his rough hand. I softly moaned again and he took his hand out from under my shirt. Before I could protest, he placed his hand on the outside of my pants, caressing between my legs. The strange feeling in my lower stomach began to grow with the touch of his hand. I pressed my legs together, squeezing his hand, which he removed. He slowly began attempting to unbutton my pants with his single hand, facing a small bit of trouble. I helped him unbutton my pants and he slipped his hand in and began rubbing me through my underwear. I whimpered, unable to control the noises that were coming out of my mouth. He locked eyes with mine, his pale green eyes boring into me. I nodded and he kissed me hard, sliding his hand below my underwear and rubbing my opening with his finger. He slipped one finger into me and although I felt some pain, it quickly subsided and began to feel wonderful. I began breathing heavier into his mouth as he kissed me. Suddenly, we heard a creak as the front door opened. I untangled myself from Gale, springing up from the table onto my feet. I quickly buttoned my pants.

"Katniss? Are you done cleaning Gale's wounds?" I heard my mother call from the door.

"Yes, I'm in here!" I yelled.

"Okay, I'm going to get some rest. Keep an eye on Gale for me." She replied, passing through the kitchen on the way to her bedroom.

Once she was gone, I looked back at Gale, relieved that my mother did not catch us together. Gale smiled at me but then quickly got a look of pain as he accidentally rolled onto his back.

"Don't think that this was a one time deal. Once I'm healed we will finish what we started." He said, once he had rolled back onto his stomach so that he could sleep.

"Whatever, Gale. Just get some rest for now." I interjected as I sat down on a chair. Although I kept my cool on the outside, inside I was screaming. I wanted him more than ever.


	2. Chapter 2

A week had passed since the incident with Gale and me. I had wanted to avoid him but couldn't because he was hurt. Each day I would help my mother change Gale's bandages, not allowing her to leave the two of us alone. Things got easier yesterday when Gale was able to walk again. He could stay at his house and just come over once a day to have my mother check his wounds. It was late and my mother and I were clearing away all of her medical supplies.

"What's going on with you and Gale?" My mother finally asked, "Are you mad at him or something?"

"Nothing's going on with us, I've been with him every day" I retorted, annoyed that she noticed the tension between us. "Why would I be mad at him?"

She was deep in thought for a moment. "I'm not sure," she countered, "I've just noticed that you two aren't the same around each other anymore. Is he upset about your engagement?"

"No, Mother!" I snapped. "Please, stop analyzing Gale and me. We are fine."

She silently nodded and wandered out of the room, clearly deflated because I had yelled at her. I began to feel a twinge of guilt in the pit of my stomach. Why did she have to bring up my engagement? I already felt horrible about basically cheating on my fiancé, even though the engagement was just an act. If President Snow somehow found out about Gale and me, I didn't even want to imagine what he would do. It was difficult enough to convince Snow that Gale was my cousin, and now I was throwing all of that hard work away for nothing. And also, Peeta really did seem to love me; how would it make him feel to know that not only was I in love with someone else, but I also was acting on those feelings.

I forced myself to stop thinking about what happened and focus on getting ready for my wedding photo shoot. I slowly padded upstairs to my bedroom, slamming the door behind me. I turned to face my bed and saw my white, over the top dress sitting on top of it. Looking at it made my stomach churn, so I scooped it up and hung it in my closet. If only the saying "out of sight, out of mind" was really true. I stripped off my clothes and put on a flannel shirt over my underwear. I hopped into bed, hoping that I could force myself to fall asleep. Suddenly, I felt a knock at the door, jolting me out of my light slumber.

"Prim, is that you? What do you want? I was sleeping!" I cried, angry that my sleep was being interrupted.

"It's not Prim," Gale's familiar voice called. "Can I come in?"

I sprang out of bed and stormed to my door, yanking it open. There he was, standing in front of me with his hands in his pockets. He eyed my face intently, giving me an intense look that I couldn't decode. I couldn't help but stare at his full lips; the same lips that just a week ago were pressed against me. My heartbeat picked up pace and I felt a flush of color sweep over my face. He really was the most handsome guy I had ever laid eyes on. Not only that, but he was also the funniest and most intelligent person I had ever met. Why did he have to be so perfect? I even loved his flaws: he was prideful, bothersome, and stubborn. We stood there in silence for almost a minute, just staring at each other. Finally, I silenced my thoughts enough to speak.

"What is it Gale?" I chided, "I was trying to get some sleep."

"I just…well…I needed to talk to you," he mumbled uncertainly. He definitely was not being his usual self tonight.

"Fine, you can come in," I said, giving in only because he looked genuinely sad and unnerved.

I pushed the door open and gestured Gale inside. He quietly strode in and sat on my bed. He set his hands on either side of him, gripping the edge of the bed like he had held the table a week ago. He adverted his eyes and caught sight of my white dress in the closet. The color disappeared from his face and he sighed, shaking his head.

"So…what did you want to talk about?" I asked, not wanting to sit on the bed beside him for a fear that I would do something bad again.

"Would you mind shutting the door?" He countered, finally regaining the color in his unshaven face.

I slowly pushed the door shut, standing with my back pressed against it once it was closed. Every inch of my body was on fire. I had to use every ounce of my self-restraint to stop myself from jumping on him and attacking him with my mouth. I couldn't help but chuckle at the thought. I looked up at Gale and instantly stopped laughing. He was glaring at me with his green eyes narrowed, a half-smile poised on his mouth.

"Please sit down, Katniss," He said while simultaneously patting a spot on the bed beside him. "I just want to talk about what happened a few nights ago."

"I'd rather we didn't." I murmured, slowly making my way over to my bed.

I plopped down on my bed, being sure to sit as far away from Gale as humanly possible. I was not going to betray Peeta again. I needed to marry him in order to protect my family and Gale. It was the right thing to do. I tried to convince myself that maybe some day I could love Peeta the way I loved Gale. But whom was I kidding? I recalled the time in the Games that I kissed Peeta; it felt nice, but it didn't make my heart feel like it would explode and it definitely didn't overtake all of my senses. I placed my head in my hands and squeezed my eyes shut, attempting to push Gale's kiss out of my mind. I felt him scoot closer to me, so close that his leg pressed up against mine. I put my hands into my lap and peeked up at him. He was smiling down at me, clearly affected by being so near to me. I felt my lips pull back as a smile formed on my mouth, unable to stop myself. Without warning, Gale's smile disappeared, replaced by a pained look.

"Listen, I understand that we can't be together," he began, "You are getting married, and it's not appropriate for us to be together. You have an obligation to Peeta, and regardless of how much I hate to say it, he deserves to be with you."

Any semblance of a smile left on my face was torn away as he spoke. I knew that it was exactly what I was going to say to him, but I still did not want to hear it. I swallowed the huge lump in my throat and tried to speak without choking.

"I was thinking the exact same thing" I replied. "I don't want to hurt Peeta."

I tore my eyes away from him. It was impossible for me to say anything else. I forced myself to stand up, putting one foot in front of the other as I shuffled to the door. Gale followed me sheepishly. Just as I placed my hand on the doorknob Gale grabbed a hold of my other hand, tearing me away from the door. He forced his arms around me, holding me as if our previous conversation had been entirely erased from his memory. I gave into his embrace, wrapping my arms around his waist and breathing in his intoxicating scent. He removed one arm from around me and placed his hand on the side of my face. He leaned his face down to mine and pressed his lips to my forehead, slowly moving down to my cheek. I shivered, closing my eyes. Suddenly, my brain caught up with my body. I remembered why he had come to my room and I unwrapped myself from his strong arms, opening my eyes. I gently pushed him away, reaching back for the doorknob once again. I twisted it and swung the door open, looking up at Gale. He was torn; his eyes burned, he wanted to be with me but he knew that he couldn't. His lips were parted, as if he was about to say something. He stopped himself and stormed out of my room.

I shut the door and jumped into my bed, unable to hold back my tears any longer. I wiped my eyes on the sleeve of my flannel and slowly fell asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

I squirmed in my bed, attempting to find a comfortable position; being unable to move my broken foot was beginning to drive me completely off the wall. I pushed myself into a sitting position with my hands and propped my pillow up behind my back. I laid my head back against my bedpost and closed my eyes. It was nice to finally be alone. I had been spending every day with Peeta, and even though I had enjoyed every minute of it, I needed my alone time. I could be completely myself around Peeta, and he could be himself around me. He was easy to be around, with his quick wit and good sense of humor. It really helped me relax to watch him draw; his hand moved so freely, sketching away in my mother's notebook. However, no matter how much I enjoyed Peeta's company, I was unable to stop thinking about Gale. We had not spoken since he had inadvertently rejected me and I knowingly rejected him. No amount of time spent with Peeta could fill the piece of me that Gale had taken with him when he left that night. I needed to see him, to hear his deep voice, to touch his skin. I still couldn't forget the way he had made me feel the first time we gave in to each other on the table.

Unfortunately, I lacked the ability to walk. It was impossible for me to walk to his house and tell him that if nothing else, I wanted him as a friend. So I just continued to sit in bed, silently waiting for my foot to heal. Then I heard a knock at my door.

"Hey, Katniss! Can I come in?" Peeta's voice called from the other side of the door.

"Yeah, come on in." I replied, disappointed that it wasn't Gale.

Peeta threw the door open, clearly excited about something. His blonde hair was windblown and his cheeks were red from the cold. He quickly took off his thick coat and wool scarf, bending down to untie his snow boots. He walked over to my bed and got under the covers with me. I smiled at him weakly, not able to pretend that I was as giddy as he was being.

"What's wrong?" He asked, his smile quickly fading into a frown, his brows furrowing.

"It's just…well, I'm just sick of being stuck in here," I began, "and I want to be able to walk around, I'm so antsy."

"Don't worry!" Peeta said, trying to comfort me. "You'll be better in no time. And in the meantime, I'll keep you company for a little while before I have to help my parents with the bakery."

"Okay, thank you Peeta." I muttered, "So the bakery is busy right now?"

"Yes, it is crazy," He replied, holding his cold hands up to his mouth and breathing on them. "I think it must be because it's so cold outside or something."

I grabbed of his frigid hands and rubbed mine against them, trying to warm him. I looked up at him and he was looking at me in a way that I had been looked at before a few times, most recently by Gale. His blue eyes burned into me, the same way they had when we had kissed in the cave months ago. I turned my head away from him until it was facing forward and dropped his hands. No, please do not look at me like that. I can't reject my fiancé, even if it is an act.

"Why are you acting so strange, Katniss?" He questioned, clearly irritated with me.

"I already told you! I've been cooped up in here so long and it's just making me a little crazy." I lied. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry." He whispered, moving closer to me on the bed. "Maybe I could distract you."

I looked up at him, pushing my thoughts of Gale out of my head. He faced me and reached his hand up to my face, leaning in close to my face. I looked into his pleading eyes and hoped that maybe someday I could really be in love with him, in more than a friendly way.

"You're so beautiful, Katniss." He quietly murmured, his eyes taking me in. "I'm lucky to be getting married to you."

I smiled and he leaned in the rest of the way, his lips touching mine ever so softly. I reached my arm around to his back, hugging his body to mine. Our lips moved together slowly. It felt good to kiss him and hold him so close to me. A few minutes passed and finally he gently pulled away from me.

"I have to go," He said, brushing a fallen lock of hair off behind my ear. "I'll see you tomorrow."

He smiled at me, kissed me on the cheek, and then stood up. He put his winter clothes back on and waved at me before he left walked out of my door.

I frowned, sad that I was completely numb inside. No great fire had awakened beneath my skin. Stop it, I said to myself, you have an obligation to him. There was no getting around it, I was going to marry Peeta.

I scooted down into my bed, snuggling into my pillow. I pulled up my fluffy comforter and took in the silence. I looked out the window at the forest. It looked so peaceful covered in a blanket of snow. I quickly fell asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

A week later, I was sitting on my living room couch when I heard a quiet knock on my front door. It must be Peeta again, I thought to myself.

"Come in!" I yelled.

The doorknob turned slowly and the door was pushed open. On the other side of it was Gale. I froze with my mouth hanging open.

"Hi, I heard about your foot," He started. "How is it feeling?"

"Umm…it's almost all better." I replied. "I can't run or anything, but I can walk a little bit now."

"That's good to hear." He said, still standing with his hand on the doorknob.

"You can come in if you want." I exclaimed, annoyed that he was being so short with me.

He hesitated, but finally walked into the living room and shut the door behind him. He just stood in front of me, not saying a word. He looked nervous and a little distracted. His mouth was turned downwards on the sides and his eyebrows were raised.

"Did you want to talk?" I asked, forcing him to say something. "Or are you just going to stand there?"

"Sorry, I just…I don't really know what to say." He admitted, walking over to the couch and sitting beside me. "So, how's the wedding preparation going?"

"I haven't really been doing anything to prepare for it," I admitted, "there's not a set date yet. But I do have my photo shoot soon."

"That's cool." He murmured, giving me a small close-lipped smile. "I bet you'll look amazing in your dress."

"Thank you." I countered, looking down and studying my hands. "I've been wanting to talk to you. I wanted to tell you that if nothing else is possible for us, I really do want to stay friends."

"Listen, Katniss, I couldn't agree more." He said loudly. "But honestly, I just cannot stop thinking about you. You know…in a romantic way"

I nodded silently. Why was he doing this? I couldn't keep playing these games with him. It was too difficult to keep wanting him and having him taken away from me.

"Well, do you feel the same way?" He asked, his voice sounding truly distressed. "If not, then that's fine too. I don't want you to have to choose between Peeta and me. I know it's not fair to you because you have to marry him. I just can't let you marry him without tell you that I don't want you to do it, even though I know you have to."

"Oh, Gale!" I cried, unable to hold back my words. "Yes, of course I feel the same way. I love you, and I wish things weren't the way they are. But honestly, I have to marry him. I do want to be with you tonight, but this has to be the last time."

He grinned at me, clearly dismissing everything I had said except for the fact that I love him. He got up off the couch, catching me off guard. At first I thought that he was leaving, but then he got down on one knee in front of me and weaved his fingers through mine. He gazed up into my eyes, making my heart pound incessantly. He then picked me up and laid me down onto the couch. He climbed on top of me and pressed his forehead to mine, clutching my face in both of his large hands. I reached my face up to his and kissed him furiously. He responded to my frantic kiss and moved his hands to my waist. He gripped my hip with one hand and stroked my side with the other. I put my hand on the back of his neck and pulled him even closer to me. I wanted him so much, I couldn't even comprehend how much pleasure I was getting from his touch. I roughly pulled off his shirt and threw it on the floor. He pulled away from my lips and looked down at me, unsure of how he should reciprocate.

"Please Gale, I need you." I exclaimed, impatiently awaiting his kiss again.

"I'm not having sex with you, Katniss." He stated, his expression becoming serious. "Well, not right now at least."

"Fine, whatever!" I yelled, crossing my arms across my chest.

"I guess we can do something else, if you insist." He chuckled, uncrossing my arms and holding down my hands on either side of me.

"Yes," I cried, "I insist!"

He smiled, pressing his lips to the bottom of my neck. He moved down to my collarbone, gently sucking the skin on my chest while still holding my hands captive. He finally let go of my hands and began unbuttoning my flannel shirt. He finished undoing the last button, leaving the open shirt on me instead of taking it off. He moved down to my breasts propping himself up on his elbow next to me. He kissed down my sternum and then moved his mouth to my breast. He trailed kisses all around my breast before lightly sucking on my nipple. I gasped, feeling a twinge of pain as he grazed my nipple with his teeth.

"Sorry, I'll be more gentle," He said as he moved his mouth off of my breast. "I just got a little carried away; you're making me lose my sense of control."

I laughed and pulled his mouth up to mine, exploring inside it with my tongue. He wrapped his arms around my waist, his body tightly pressed to mine. He was so warm, a sheen of sweat was beginning to appear on my skin. He shifted his weight and pressed his pelvis against mine. I placed my mouth on his neck and nipped him softly. Then I began sucking on his soft skin, tasting the salt on him. I moved my hand down to his stomach and stroked the trail of hair from his belly button down to the top of his pants. He grew hard at my touch. I reached down to the outside of his pants and laid my hand on his crotch, slowly rubbing it up and down.

"My god, Katniss" he said, exasperated.

"Touch me again, Gale." I whispered, taking his hand in mine and pressing it between my legs.

I was only wearing the flannel shirt and underwear, nothing else. He teased me, caressed my thigh and squeezing it. He pushed himself off of me, pushing my legs apart and lying back on top of me between them. He grinded his hips into me, his bulge rubbing on my center. I moaned quietly. Then, I pushed him off of me.

"Take off your pants" I commanded.

He smiled and obliged, expertly unbuttoning his pants, pulling them off, and throwing them onto the floor. He kneeled on the couch, only in his boxers. I sat up and kneeled also, rubbing his muscular thighs with my small hands. I finally slipped my hand into his dark boxers, grabbing a hold of his penis. I slid my hand up and down his stiff member, squeezing it ever so softly. He moaned and pulled my face to his, kissing me roughly. I shoved him back onto the couch and pulled his underwear off. He looked up at me with a surprised look on his face, his eyes burning and his lips parted. I put my lips onto the head of his penis, pushing my head down and taking him far back into my mouth. I repeated this, occasionally using my tongue and licking up the sides of his member. He moaned loudly, weaving his hands into my hair. Finally he could not hold back anymore and exploded in my mouth. I sat back up, wiping my mouth with my sleeve.

He pulled me on top of him, pressing his lips to mine once again. He slid his hand into my underwear, rubbing his middle finger on my clitoris. He then continued where he left off when we were on the table, sliding his finger into me. He pumped it in and out of me as I lay on top of him, my hands on his shoulders supporting my weight. He suddenly stopped and pulled his finger out of me. I protested and he rolled over so that he was on top of me, kneeling down between my knees. He stripped of my underwear, one leg at a time. After what felt like an eternity, he pressed his mouth to my vagina, licking me up and down. He gently sucked on my clitoris and traced around it with the tip of his tongue. He slipped his finger back inside my vagina but kept his mouth on me too. I breathed loudly, placing my feet up on his shoulders. I began to moan and he reached up with his other hand, caressing my breasts, one at a time. I felt heat growing in the pit of my stomach and began to orgasm, calling Gale's name out.

"Ohhhhh, Gale!" I cried out.

I finished and he crawled up to lie on top of me. He kissed me, allowing me to taste myself on his lips. He moved over so that he was next to me, his head propped up by his hand. He placed his arm around my waist and we lay together, amazed at how we made each other feel. After a few minutes, I remembered that we were in my living room and my mother could come in at any moment. I hopped off the couch.

"We should get dressed." I said, holding my hand out to Gale so that he could get off the couch.

He grasped my hand, pulling himself up to his feet. We quickly got dressed. Afterwards, I looked over at him. He was standing in front of me, a wide smile on his mouth, his eyes glowing.

"I love you." He said again, taking my hand in his and pulling me into an embrace. I wrapped my arms around him and looked up at him. He brought his lips to mine one last time and then we let go of each other.

"I have to go home, but I'll come back tomorrow." He said with a smile.

Suddenly my mind went back to reality. I was getting married, and not to Gale. I looked up at him with a serious look on my face and his smile faded.

"Gale, what I said earlier about this only being a one time thing…well, I wasn't joking," I explained, "I was being honest. And I hate it but I can't ever do this again."

"Okay." He retorted, a look of rage growing on his sweet face.

He turned away from me and threw open the door, leaving me once again. However, this time I knew it was for the best, no matter how much it was making my heart ache. I walked up the stairs to my room and attempted to fall asleep.


	5. Chapter 5

I felt my stomach clench. Blood rushed to my face, instantly making me feel an intense heat build inside of me. I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

"Katniss?" My little sister Prim quietly called. "It'll be okay, we can figure this out…somehow."

"No." I managed to whisper. "No, no, no."

I could not hear anything because the ringing in my ears was so loud. How could they make me go back into the Games? The Quarter Quell, they had called it. I knew that President Snow wanted me dead, but would he really kill me off this way? I would have no dignity left. I would not do it; I would have to run away, it was my only option. But I couldn't run away! They would hurt my family and friends, all of whom I could not hide or take with me. I was trapped, like a rabbit in the forest. I had to get away, to take my mind somewhere else. I stood up, leaving Prim on the couch. I walked out of my house, heading for the house of the only man that I knew could help me right now: Haymitch. I ran across the freshly mowed grassy field that the Hunger Game winner's houses were perched on. I trudged through the bushes in Haymitch's lawn, making my way to the front door. I knocked furiously, hoping that he was awake.

"Who's there?" I heard him slur loudly.

"It's Katniss, open up!" I cried out.

A few seconds later, I heard lock on the door unlatch and the door swung open, revealing Haymitch. He was visibly drunk; his stringy blonde hair was messy, he hadn't shaved in days, and his eyes were red and glassy. He violently gestured for me to come in. I stepped though the doorway, almost tripping on the trash that was strewn out on the floor. I made my way to the kitchen table, falling into one of the chairs.

"Could I have a drink, please?" I asked, placing my hands onto the table. "Actually, I'll be totally honest. I want to get drunk."

"Normally I would not allow this," He started, throwing open several cupboards in search of something, "but after seeing the news on the television, I have to say yes."

He reached into the last cupboard on the wall and fished for a large bottle of brown liquid. I had no idea what it was, but I refrained from asking because at this moment, I did not care. He did not bother to get me a glass, but instead just handed me one of the bottles and poured more of his clear liquid into his glass.

"Cheers!" He exclaimed, holding out his bottle to clink against mine.

"Thank you." I replied, incoherent because I had already pressed the bottle to my mouth.

I chugged down too much of the liquid, causing me to gag, but I forced it down. It tasted awful, but I plugged my nose and gulped it down once again. I looked up at Haymitch, who was already eyeing me somewhat intently.

"So," he inquired, "are you going to ask me the question or do I have to say it first?"

"I don't want Peeta to go into the Quell with me." I admitted, wiping my mouth on my hand. "He has so much potential in life, no offense. I want him to be able to live for a long time."

"No offense taken." He replied, tipping his glass to me. "And if his name gets picked, I will volunteer for him."

"Thanks again." I said, sincerely glad that he was being so kind, for a change.

We continued to drink for what seemed like a few hours, but honestly I'm not sure how long. After a while, time seemed to blend together and warp into something similar to a dream. I understood why Haymitch preferred drunkenness to sobriety; it was easier to live in the fuzzy world created by the drunken mind. Without warning, the front door was thrown open. I turned my head, becoming dizzy by the movement, and saw Peeta standing in front of us. He was yelling something about us being drunk and immature. I squeezed my eyes shut, unable to confront the sudden noise caused by Peeta's rant. I suddenly felt hands on either side of my face.

"Katniss?" A male voice called, unrecognizable to my fuzzy brain. "Open your eyes, please."

I obeyed, slowly peeking through my eyelids to see Gale's face directly in front of mine. I focused in on him, my eyes seeing double at first. He gave me a stern look, prompting me to start crying.

"Oh god, no!" I sputtered between sobs. "What is…I just don't understand…"

"It's going to be okay." He countered, his stern look melting into a gentler one. "Can you stand up?"

I nodded, still blubbering loudly. He lightly stroked my cheek with his thumb before moving his hands down to my arms. He grasped them, standing and pulling me up with him. Once I was standing up, I looked to my left and saw Peeta still lecturing Haymitch. The room began to spin and I tipped forwards a little, lucky that Gale still was holding my arms.

"I'm going to walk her home." I heard Gale call to Peeta.

"Thanks." He replied, failing to hide the hint of jealousy that perverted his words.

Gale let go of my arms and moved to stand next to me, wrapping his arm around my waist. He began to walk forwards, pulling me with him. I slowly attempted to put one foot in front of the other, a task that was much harder for me than I could comprehend. We made our way out the door and I stopped suddenly, feeling my stomach begin to churn.

"I think I'm…Oh, no!" I exclaimed before heaving forward and vomiting.

Gale brushed my hair out of my face and held it back, patiently waiting for me to stop emptying my insides. He stroked my back, as I coughed up the brown liquid. Once I was finished, he helped me back onto my feet and we continued to walk to my house. I stumbled forward, unable to steady myself any longer.

"Wait a second," Gale said, lifting me into his arms.

He carried me the rest of the way, setting me down only to open the front door. Once we were in my house, he carried me up the stairs to the bathroom. He set me onto the floor and turned the water in the bathtub on, waiting for it to fill up. When it finally was full, he twisted the knob to stop the soft flow of water. I looked up at him through squinted eyes and saw him undressing himself. I began to chuckle.

"What are you doing?" I exclaimed, my words slurring together.

"I'm helping you take a bath so that you can wash the vomit off of yourself." He replied, irritated at my laughter.

He pulled my shirt over my head and unbuttoned my pants, pulling them off and setting them on the floor. He took off my underwear, a smirk appearing on his mouth.

"This feels a little familiar." He murmured, loud enough for me to hear him.

"Yeah, now all we need to do is have sex!" I yelled, by laughter become hysterical.

"I'm glad that you think so highly of me." He replied, glaring at me. "It really makes me feel good to know that you think that I would have sex with a girl who is belligerent and about to pass out. You wouldn't even remember it tomorrow."

"Oh, stop being so…I don't remember the word" I countered, glaring back at him.

He started to smile a little and lifted me into the bathtub with him. He sat behind me, allowing me to sit up as much as currently possible. The warm water felt wonderful on my cold skin. He began rubbing the soap on my arms, one at a time. He then moved his hands to my back, then my front, pausing for a second when he moved to my breasts.

"It's not like you've never touched them before." I called out, grinning broadly.

He didn't reply, but quickly washed my breasts, careful not to linger on them. He turned me around and propped me up against the side of the bathtub. He continued to wash from my legs all the way down to my feet, quickly washing between my legs, just as he had done with my breasts. He washed my hair, massaging my head softly. When he was finally done, I pulled myself up and carefully scooted closer to him.

"Do you need my help to…washing you?" I said, hiccupping halfway between my sentence.

"No." He replied, beginning to lather up his arms.

I ignored his rejection and stole the bar of soap from his hands. I rubbed it between my hands and reached out to touch his chest. He rolled his eyes, allowing me to rub his chest with my soapy hands. I moved my hands to his stomach, clumsily reaching around to his back and cleaning it too. I put more soap on my hands and lathered up his thighs, legs, and feet. He stopped me before I could make my way between his legs, doing it himself. I frowned, angry that he didn't want me to touch him.

"Oh, stop acting sad." He chided, grabbing my hand. "I only did it because I know how hard it would be to stop myself from ravaging you if you touched me again."

I giggled and threw myself against his wet body, wrapping my arms around him. I moved my face up to plant a kiss onto his lips but he quickly pulled me off of him. He stood up in the water and lifted me up with him. He wrapped me in a towel and sat me on the closed toilet seat, wrapping himself in a towel. He steadied me and reached up on the counter to grab my toothbrush and toothpaste. He squeezed the toothpaste onto the brush and handed it to me. I clumsily began to brush, trying as hard as possible to keep my head upwards. As I brushed, he grabbed a spare toothbrush and brushed his own teeth. He pulled me onto my feet and allowed me to spit in the sink. After he was done brushing, he pulled me up into his arms and carried me into my room, laying me onto my bed. He laid down next to me, pulling the covers over us. I snuggled close to his naked body and gazed up at his face. He his lips were curled into a half-smile, and I rolled my body on top of his. I reached my mouth to his and placed my lips upon his, this time without him stopping me. His lips were so soft, and they tasted like my mint toothpaste. I pulled my face back, becoming dizzy from the sudden movement.

"Katniss," He whispered, wrapping his arms around me, "would you mind if I moved you off of me, I'm starting to get…um…excited."

I smiled and nodded. He rolled me back over so that I was next to him. I laid my head on his chest and closed my eyes, quickly falling asleep.


	6. Chapter 6

I slowly blinked my eyes, temporarily blinded by the sun coming through my window. What time was it? I usually was awake before the sun got this bright. I searched my mind in order to recall what happened last night. I remembered drinking with Haymitch, but the rest of the night remained a blur. God, my head was hurting, and I felt extremely dehydrated. This must be what a hangover feels like; I silently made a promise to myself never to get drunk again. I jumped as I was startled by a creak coming from my door and I quickly turned my head to see what it was.

"How are you feeling?" Gale asked me, entering my room with a tray in his hands.

"I'm okay I guess," I lied, hoping that he wouldn't know otherwise.

"Really?" He inquired, a look of disbelief invading his face. "From how you were last night, I'm genuinely surprised that you are not feeling horrible right now."

"Oh…well I guess my head does feel a little weird." I replied, remembering bits and pieces of my time with him last night. "But I definitely do not feel horrible."

"Fair enough." He responded coolly, walking over to my bed and sitting on its edge. "You hungry?"

"Yes, thank you." I murmured, eyeing the tray he had brought with him.

He handed me the tray filled with orange juice, water, toast, and eggs. I sat up in my bed, hiding the wooziness that I felt, and put the tray on my lap. I looked down and blushed as I realized that I was completely naked.

"Would you mind bringing me a shirt or something?" I exclaimed, a little embarrassed. "Top drawer of my dresser."

Gale nodded, the tiniest bit of a smile creeping up onto his face. He searched through my dresser drawer, pulling out a long t-shirt and handing it to me, adverting his eyes from my naked chest. I yanked it out of his hand and threw it over my head, pulling it down to cover me.

"You can look now." I muttered, sipping the glass of water he had brought me.

"Okay." He retorted, sitting on the bed and turning to face me. "So, you don't remember anything from last night?"

"Just bits and pieces…" I admitted, taking a bite of toast. "Maybe you could give me some details to spark my memory."

"Well, you were very drunk," he began, looking slightly nervous. "And I brought you home."

"And?" I asked, impatiently. "Did I do anything bad?"

"No…well not really." He stammered, looking down at his hands. "I helped you take a bath, to wash off the vomit, and you kind of…well, you actually did throw yourself on me."

I opened my mouth, but was temporarily unable to speak. All of the color left my face. I was horrified, not expecting to have embarrassed myself that much. I was so appalled; I refused to look him in the eyes. Suddenly, he moved closer to me on the bed and put his hand under my chin. He gently forced me to look at him, an apologetic smile on his lips.

"I'm sorry." I finally managed to choke out. "I can't believe I was that drunk."

"It's okay," he murmured softly, clearly not understanding how embarrassed I truly felt, "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't flattered. And I felt bad rejecting you, but I would have felt worse taking advantage."

"You're so noble, Gale." I joked, unable to hide my smile.

"Yeah I try," he joked back, then his faced turned serious. "Not to lecture you, but it was kind of dangerous for you to drink that much at one time. Even though you had a pretty good excuse to drink yourself belligerent, it was still a bad idea."

I rolled my eyes at him, deep down knowing that he was right. Then I remembered why I drank myself sick and stupid. Oh god, I thought to myself, I guess the alcohol had done its job. I had entirely forgotten about the Quarter Quell, for which I was leaving tomorrow. How could I leave, especially now that I was more in love with Gale than ever before? What if I died without ever really being with him in the most basic way? I looked into Gale's face; his green eyes were sparkling and his full lips were pouting. I needed him and I could not ignore my feelings any longer. But the timing was wrong, I was hung over and he was most likely unprepared. I placed my hands into his, keeping my eyes on his. The way he looked at me made my insides sear, truly unnerving me beneath my own skin.

"Before I leave," I began, finding it difficult to concentrate with his expression so intense, "I need to say goodbye to you properly."

"Yeah, I'm not sure if we should…you know," he murmured, breaking our gaze and staring at our hands. "I can't let you lose concentration over me, especially since you'll need it so badly. Maybe once you get back…"

I nodded, unable to find anything to say to his blatant rejection of my proposition. I quietly removed my hands from his grip, not wanting him to notice how deflated I had become.

"I have to shower and get everything settled for tomorrow," I finally managed to blurt out, faking a smile. "You can come over tomorrow to see me off, if you want."

"I'll see you then." He replied.

He stood and walked out of my room, softly shutting my door behind him. I buried my head in my hands, unable to hold back my tears.


	7. Final Chapter

I twisted the hot and cold knobs in the shower, trying to find the perfect water temperature. I stepped into the white porcelain enclosure and closed the silky curtain behind me. I felt myself begin to relax as the warm water beat against my skin. I closed my eyes and moved my face directly under the cascade of droplets exiting from the showerhead. Inside my mind, I couldn't stop picturing Gale: from his wounded shirtless body lying on my kitchen table to his naked body against mine on my couch. I shivered as I recalled the feeling of his lips on me. Stop it, I chided myself, he rejected you. I attempted to think of something else, anything else to be honest. I rubbed a bar of soap between my hands, lathering it up and putting it onto my skin. I covered my hair in foamy shampoo, inhaling its sweet lavender scent. I wished that I could stay in the shower for the rest of my life, under the calming flow of water.

I rinsed my hair and turned the knobs until the water's flow had stopped completely. I threw the curtain open and reached for my towel. I wrapped the fluffy towel around my damp body, allowing the water to soak into the cloth. I stepped out of the shower and onto the soft rug, moving in front of the sink. I took my toothbrush from its holder and shuffled through a drawer, grasping my toothpaste. I brushed my teeth thoroughly, savoring this moment as possibly being one of my last. Everything I had done earlier in the day felt strange too; remembering that normal daily tasks could be your last is unsettling. I finished getting ready for bed, turning off the light switch as I wandered out of the bathroom. I entered my room and stopped instantly as I noticed that I wasn't alone.

Gale had been sitting at the foot of my bed, standing up once I walked in. He stuffed his hands in his pockets, eyeing me intently.

"Katniss," he began, his voice weak and softer than usual, "what I said this morning…well honestly, I was afraid to admit that you might not be coming back. I think it would be easier for both of us if we weren't together, but I won't be able to forgive myself if I let you go without letting you know how I feel."

"It's okay, Gale." I exclaimed, slowly ambling over to my bed and sitting on the edge of it. "I know how you feel. I don't want to play games anymore though, I think that maybe we shouldn't do this."

"No." He replied sternly, kneeling down in front of me and grabbing my arms. "I love you, more than I would like to admit. I know we keep taking turns sabotaging our relationship but I want that to stop right now. We both can admit that this might be our last night together."

"I don't want it to be," I admitted, tears brimming in my eyes. "God, I love you so much."

Gale stood up, grasping me around my waist and lifting me into his arms. I wrapped my legs around him, weaving my arms around his neck. He placed his mouth on mine, pressing his lips to mine softly. I kissed him back, unable, or unwilling, to hold back how badly I wanted him. I breathed into his mouth causing his kiss to become frantic. He moved us towards my bed, tossing me onto it. I lay there on my back, propping myself up by my elbows and waiting for him to join me. He stood by my bed, staring at me with the same intense look in his face that I had seen only twice before.

"Come here." I whispered, loud enough for him to hear me.

He smiled and shook his head, moving his hands to begin unbuttoning his shirt. I realized that he had dressed up for the occasion, wearing the nicest shirt he owned. I sat up, quickly reaching over to dim the light, and crawled over to the edge of the bed. I sat on my knees and took over unbuttoning his shirt. I moved my hands to the last button, looking up at his face. He bit down on his bottom lip, forcing himself to contain his passion. I pulled his shirt off of him and tossed it on the ground. I placed my hands on his broad shoulders. I brushed my fingers down past to his arm to his large rough hands, his skin was so warm under my touch. I weaved my fingers into his and he pressed his body to mine, kissing me hungrily. I untangled my hands from his and felt my way from his stomach to the top of his jeans. I unlatched his belt buckle and moved to the button on his pants. I undid it, reaching to pull his zipper down. He bent down to pull his pants off and stood in front of me in only his formfitting black underwear. He pulled the towel that I had wrapped around me off, grabbing my butt and pulling me close to him again. He kissed my shoulder, slowly moving up to my neck. He stopped before he got to my neck and moved his mouth up to press his lips to my ear.

"I remember from the first time how much you loved when I kissed your neck." He whispered into my ear, making me shiver unintentionally.

He hovered his mouth over my neck, teasing me with his breath. I pulled away from him and scooted back across the bed unto I my back was against my bedpost. He quickly jumped onto the bed and scrambled over to me. He hovered over me, his hands on either side of the bed and his knees on either side of me. He brought his lips down to touch mine, refusing to touch me with his hands. I slid my body so that I was lying directly under him. I wrapped my arms around his chest so that my hands were wresting on his back. I felt the scars stretching across his extensive back and began to gently stroke them, feeling my eyes become wet as I thought about how much pain he must have felt.

"Don't cry," he muttered, brushing my tears away with his thumb. "It was worth it in that it made you finally admit that you loved me back."

He smiled at me and kissed my forehead. I pulled his body tightly against mine and pressed my lips to his neck, kissing him softly. I nuzzled my face into the curve between his neck and his shoulder, playfully nibbling at his skin. He placed his hands on my hips, pressing his fingers into my sensitive skin.

"I want to be on top of you." I whispered, teasing him by placing my lips onto his ear just as he had done to me.

A growl escaped his mouth as he flipped us over so that I was now on straddling his hips. His hands moved from my hips to my breasts, gently massaging my soft skin. My nipples hardened under his fervent touch. I leaned my face close to his and he kissed me harder than I was expecting, causing me to gasp. His tongue began to explore inside my mouth, searching for my tongue. I touched his tongue with the tip of mine, tenderly caressing it. He removed his tongue from my mouth and took my bottom lip into his mouth, sucking on it faintly before letting go of it and finally moving his mouth to my neck. He sucked on my skin, making me feel a twinge of pain. I yelped and he stopped, pulling his mouth away from my neck.

"Sorry, I got carried away." He admitted.

"No," I groaned, "I like it."

I stopped straddling him and laid my body directly on top of his. He grinned and placed his lips back onto the other side of my neck, first sucking softly and then becoming more ferocious as I began to sigh. I pulled back from his grip and he flipped us over so that I was now below him again. He shifted down the bed so that his mouth was at the same level as my breasts. He placed his hand onto one of my breasts, rolling my nipple between his pointer finger and his thumb. He then placed his mouth onto my other breast, sucking continuously harder on my nipple. I moaned loudly, unable to control the pressure building up inside of me. He suddenly tore his mouth and hands away from my breasts, moving back up the bed so that his face was at level with mine. He lay next to me on his side, propping himself up with his arm. He placed his hand on my bare butt and pulled my pelvis against his. He traced the skin down to my thigh and moved his hand back up between my legs. He ran his fingers through my small patch of pubic hair and rubbed around my clitoris with his middle finger. My heartbeat quickened and I spread my legs wider so he had better access to my center. He stopped touching my clitoris and pushed his finger into my vagina. He began pumping his finger in and out. I felt the muscles inside of me begin to clench him his finger tightly. He moved his mouth down to my chest, kissing the skin on my collarbone softly. I moaned his name loudly, grabbing his chin and forcing his face to look up at mine.

"I want you to make love to me, Gale." I whispered.

"Wait a second," He replied, getting off of me and jumping off of the bed. "I came prepared."

He searched my floor for his pants. When he finally found them, he slipped his hand into his front pocket and pulled out a small square wrapper. He climbed back onto the bed, setting the wrapper next to us. He moved over me, placing his hand behind my head and pulling my face up to his. He smiled slightly, kissing my mouth more gently than I was expecting. I broke away from his kiss and sat up, moving so that I was kneeling in front of him. I grabbed the elastic waistband on his underwear and pulled them down his legs, past his knees, throwing them off the bed. I climbed on top of him and grasped his penis, stroking it up and down. He stopped me, placing me on the bed next to him and moving between my legs. He placed his hands on either side of my face and kissed me once again, caressing my tongue with his. I put my feet on the bed, bending my knees and spreading my legs for him. He grabbed the wrapper beside me and ripped it open, pulling out the condom inside of it. He rolled it onto himself, making sure it fit snugly. He placed one hand on the bed and used the other to glide his penis into me. I cringed at first, feeling my vagina stretching farther than it had ever been. Gale stopped as he saw the look of pain in my face.

"It's okay," I began, taking a deep breath, "I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" He asked, a look of genuine concern in his eyes. "I don't want to hurt you."

I nodded and wrapped my arms around him, pulling his warm, naked body against my own. He slowly began thrusting into me and my pain began to lessen. I closed my eyes and tilted my head back, concentrating on the feeling of him inside me. His breathing grew more rapid and loud as he pushed farther into me.

"Ohhhh!" I exclaimed, grabbing hold of his shoulders and digging my fingernails into his skin.

His pace quickened and he moaned loudly, nuzzling his face into my shoulder. He nibbled at my skin, making me yelp with pleasure. I grabbed his face between both of my hands and kissed him frantically, sucking hard on his lower lip. A deep growl escaped his mouth and moved into mine. He pushed himself deeper and deeper into my vagina and I began to feel a pressure build up inside of me. He weaved his fingers into my hands and moved them up over my head. I moaned loudly again and again, feeling the pressure begin to release. My muscles clenched his member and I felt an explosion deep down below my stomach. He began to orgasm, groaning into my mouth as he kissed me. He collapsed on top of me, both of us out of breath and wet with perspiration. He pulled out of me, removing his condom and placing it back into the wrapper. He laid down next to me and pulled me tightly against him. We locked eyes, both clearly amazed at the immense pleasure we had caused each other.

"I love you." He whispered, his green eyes ablaze.

"I love you, too." I whispered back.

I placed my head on his chest and he weaved his arm around my waist. He stroked my face lightly with his fingertips. We quickly fell asleep, our bodies tangled up together.

The next day I woke up, a rush of joy running through my body as I looked at Gale lying next to me. I glanced at my alarm clock, realizing that I had to leave in thirty minutes. I shook him gently, forcing him to wake up.

"Hi, there." He murmured, smiling sleepily.

"Good morning," I said back, smiling back at him. "I have to leave soon."

His smile quickly faded, leaving him with a sad expression on his beautiful face. I reached my face up to his and kissed his full lips, realizing that this might be the last time I would have the chance to feel his lips pressed to mine. He must have realized it too because he returned the kiss back, much harder. We broke apart from each other and got off the bed. We both got dressed, stealing final glances at each other's body as we did. Finally, we made our way to my door, stopping before we left my room.

"This is it." I sighed, my eyes starting to fill with tears.

"Yeah…" He replied, tearing rimming his eyes also.

He grabbed me and wrapped his arms around my waist, embracing me one last time. I laced my arms around his neck and pressed my body against his. He looked down at me and I looked up at him. One last time, he pressed his soft lips to mine. I could no longer control my tears, salty water beginning to fall down my face. Our lips finally parted. We let go of each other and I grabbed the doorknob, twisting it and pulling it open. We walked out of my room together; both knowing deep down that this might have been our last goodbye.


End file.
